Epilogue

EPILOGUE

Shannon

I looked at my hometown for the last time. Despite Davis no longer being an issue, I wouldn't be staying. I had no reason to.

Steven had agreed to take over the shop. It had taken some convincing, but he finally saw it my way. The damage was heavy but fixable. The insurance would cover most of it, and with the money Steven saved up to buy it, he would be able to have the business back up and running within a few months. I had my lawyer drawing the papers up as we spoke, so within a few weeks, Steven would be the new owner. Free and clear. And I wouldn't feel guilty about not continuing my father's legacy because I knew it was in good hands. Steven even agreed to hire back any of my father's employees who wanted the job.

It was a win-win for everyone.

"You ready to head out?"

I turned to find Jack waiting patiently for me. I wasn't sure how I got so lucky that he noticed me Friday night when there were plenty of other women for him to choose, but I would thank my lucky stars every day. I had almost allowed what Davis had done to me to be the reason I swore off men altogether. Thankfully, I didn’t. My father might not have believed in love, but I liked to think he was watching out for me. At least this once.

"I'm ready."

Jack had taken a few weeks off from work. Being the boss meant he could do that. He had spent the morning on the phone with all his managers making sure they had everything handled, but now it was time to head out.

We would be using that time to travel across the country. Our first stop was Idaho. That was where Matthew's team had located the first woman Davis screwed over. After that, we would head to Arizona to speak with the second woman, and then finally, with any luck, we would be able to see the third woman. I wasn't holding out much hope for the latter, based on the latest information Matthew's team discovered, and the condition she was in. Their boss did reach out to the facility to explain that Davis would no longer be an issue, but there was no guarantee that would help.

I just had to cross my fingers that I could be some help in the end.

Jack wrapped his arms around me from behind.

"Here's to the first day of the rest of our lives."

I leaned my head back and soaked up his strength. I had plenty of my own, but it was good to know I had someone I could lean on if things got to be too much. This weekend had been a great example of that.

"Nope, the first day started when I threw the dart at a map and it led me to you. Best decision I ever made."

Jack didn't argue. He kissed my temple and walked me to the rented SUV. It was time to say goodbye to this chapter of my life and embrace a new one. Who knows, maybe I would find my passion along the way. But in the meantime, I would enjoy everything I had because I couldn't ask for anything better than the man sitting next to me.